Tropical side cap with RBNr

[NickG]

I got this tropical side cap from Estand late 2018.
It was found in the Czech Republic and used by their boy scouts after the war.
It had circular boyscout qualification patched stitched to one side. Ghosts still visible if you look carefully.
(btw Czech ooy scouts also used German tropical pith helmets that were war time left overs...)
The tropical eagle is back on...just have not found the proper cockade yet...
hence this metal coackade filler! (if somebody has the proper one drop me a line!)
It of course never had soutache, it a later type which also explains the RBNr stamp.
A metal cap device is not too far fetched I guess, but perhaps more approriate as an officer upgrade...
so would like to obtain a regular tropical one. Some friends who attended the SOS had no luck...

[Tim O'Keefe]

Hans Brandt with the rbn# dated '43,. Normally using the straight stitch to attach the insignia. This is interesting that this may be the first HB sidecap found apparently not sourced from the beehive cache ?

Not just the CZ boy scouts wore them post war but many locals used the discarded tropenhelms without insignia as sun hats for gardening etc.

Nice find Nick

[NickG]

Thanks. The crown is pinched so the ink stamps are not 100% visible.

[Tim O'Keefe]

Here is another members HB with the rbn# from March '43. Not sure what the upper two sets of four numbers mean ? This one is likely from the beehive cache.

[NickG]

Yes same cap manufacturer for sure...
and insignia was machine stitched on by this maker, indeed!
If I can't find a tropical cockarde I will just keep it like this...